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Incumbents Prevail in Upton

By Michelle Sanford Staff Reporter/Columnist · May 05, 2010

It was the incumbents all the way during Upton's Annual Town Election, which took place on May 3 at Nipmuc Regional High School. Of the 19 positions up for re-election, voters were the deciding factors in races for the Board of Health's three-year seat and the Recreation Commissioner's seat for three years.

Incumbent Sherry Berger won the Board of Health's seat against Patricia Giglio by a vote of 246 to 188 with 57 ballots left blank. Incumbent Paul Pirozzi won the Recreation Commission's three year seat against Matthew Gibbons by a vote of 230 to 182 with 79 ballots left blank.

Results of the unchallenged positions include David Loeper for the Moderator's one year seat who received 439 votes, 50 blank ballots, and two write ins. Ken Picard for Board of Selectmen for three years who received 402 votes, 83 blank ballots, and six write ins. Kelly McElreath for Town Clerk for three years who received 446 votes and 45 blank ballots. Glenn Fowler for Assessor for three years who received 388 votes, 102 blank ballots, and one write in. Heather Applegate for the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee for three years who received 361 votes, 122 blank ballots, and eight write ins. Robert Richard for Cemetery Commission for three years who received 413 votes and 78 blank ballots. Judith Katz, Kathleen Kelley, and Carol Wolf received 345, 358, and 340 votes, respectively, for the three open seats for Trustees of the Public Library for three years; 428 ballots were left blank with two write ins. Thomas Davidson will sit on the Planning Board for five years and received 381 votes, with 108 blank ballots and two write ins. Harvey Trask won the Trust Funds Commissioner's three year seat with 380 votes and 111 blank ballots. And Rena Richard won the Housing Authority's five year seat and received 388 votes and 103 blank ballots.

As for the five Constable positions up for re-election, Barbara Burke received 397 votes, James Bates received 357 votes, Alfred Holman received 342 votes, Karen Varney received 370 votes, and James Comfort received 350 votes. There were 639 ballots left blank. The only position without a candidate was for the three-year seat on the Finance Committee, which had 33 write ins and 458 blank ballots.

According to Town Clerk Kelly McElreath, a total of 491 residents voted in the election, which adds up to 10 percent of the 4,834 registered voters in town.